When work started on Metro in 1974 it became Britain’s largest urban transport project of the 20th Century, and stood out as one of the greatest achievements in North East England’s rich industrial heritage. Built at a time of national financial crisis and high unemployment it seems a miracle that Metro ever got up and running, but against all the odds the project was seen through to completion and was opened in the summer of 1980 to a fanfare of critical acclaim.
It re-used old heavy rail lines that were either closed or loss-making and transformed them into a light rail system. The existing lines were linked by around 6km of new tunnels, allowing services to pass through the centre of newcastle and Gatesead. It has been described as the “first modern light rail system in the UK” and paved the way for other services re-using old rail routes including the Docklands Light Railway and the Croydon Tramlink.
Metro was an instant success story and became part of everyday life on Tyneside. Several extensions have been built over the years, including to Newcastle International Airport (opened in 1991) and extensions to Sunderland and Wearside in 2002.
Sub Brit was fortunate to be given a guided tour of the Metro Control Centre during a weekend visit in 2014.